Under the Bodhitree, in the forest by the Niranjara River, the world-honored one touched the earth and received great awakening.  Without touching the earth, there is no great awakening.  Because of touching the earth, the earth trembled, all beings trembled, and the morning star opened its eye and sent forth its light unhindered throughout heaven and earth.  We should investigate this touching of the earth.

Before touching the earth, the world-honored one was visited by alluring visions of desire and seduction, and by visions of demonic terrors and violence.  By exposing himself to this rain and wind, and upright and aware; sailing through the storms without losing course, he was able to find a clear field out beyond ideas; an empty meadow for a meeting with the most distinguished guest.  Mara, with grandmotherly kindness, provided a turning word, an axis point for revolution:

“What right do you have to wake up to freedom when all other beings are drowning in suffering?”   Following the imperative, the world-honored one touched the earth, suddenly extinguishing the flame of Siddhartha Gautama and opening the gates of the garden for the ten thousand grasstips to come forward and illuminate awakening.

To understand the earth-touching of the awakened one, we must investigate our own touching.  Is it the self that lowers the hand, or the earth that draws it in?  We might understand how to touch the earth and receive the earth’s confirmation, but we must also understand that the earth touches us, and we confirm the earth’s awakening.

Do we make touching the earth into a ritual or display?  Or is it reaching for refreshing water, or having a cup of tea?  Is it reaching for a pillow in the middle of the night?  Could it be embracing the beloved, or embracing the gift of Sujata?

Touching is not just with the hand, it is with the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, body and mind, it is with the breath and posture, it is with a flower and with a smile, with a pebble striking bamboo, and with the call of a crow.  It is with the white clouds passing freely through the vast sky.

When we touch the earth, do we feel the trembling?  We feel the trembling of thunder, or of a rushing river; maybe of butterfly wings or aspen leaves.  Can we feel the trembling of a hollow tree, a moss covered boulder or withered log under the snow?  How about walls, fences, tiles and pebbles?

Are we in touch with the weight and inertia of a car when we get in and drive?  Do we touch the heat and roar of the engine, or the breath of the exhaust?  Would we choose to drive so easily?

Are we in touch with the plastic package hiding the food we reach for in the market?  Do we know its “before and after, complete in this moment”?  Do we touch the chemical laboratories, the oil fields, the war zones?  Are these considerations brought in from the outside or are they here with us in the intimacy of this moment?  Are they flowers in the sky, or are they touching the earth?

How can we touch the earth while on the internet, while talking on a cell phone, while flying in an airplane?  It’ s not that it can’t be done, it’s just that there is a great distance between heaven and earth.  It’s not that touching the earth can be defiled, it’s just that is comes with practice and realization.  The awakened one ascended the ladder to heaven in order to free beings trapped there but he soon returned to earth on the single road.

When we return to earth, to our original home, the empty dawn gives birth to the one bright pearl; its brilliance spills forth into the eyes of all beings.  At the moment of touching the earth, there is no hand, no person, no touching, and no earth.  At this moment, earth and the awakened one both drop away like golden leaves in autumn.  On the bare ground, spring comes, and the grass grows of itself.